Lighting design for the office

Most employees spend around 8 hours in the office, so good lighting is essential to help create a comfortable working atmosphere. Bad lighting can lead to ill health and unhappy, unproductive workers.

For more than 20 years, the lighting planners at Lights.co.uk have advised customers on the ideal office lighting, taking into account all of your individual needs, conditions, and wishes.

Modern office lighting priorities

Human Centric Lighting

Office lights use concentration-enhancing light with a high blue content that counteracts fatigue and aids sleep. State-of-the-art HCL lighting systems also simulate the natural change in daylight with light colour, which, in turn, boosts productivity and health.

Task-related

Every office is unique, with individual areas and locations having different requirements when being lit. So, your lighting needs to consider this to optimise everyday office life. For example, the light at a desk needs to be a different brightness and warmth from the lights in reception or a meeting room.

Energy & cost efficiency

Profitability is essential for every company, which is why many companies are switching to LED bulbs. You can install presence and twilight sensors to ensure your lights are on only when necessary.

Lights for the office

LED panels

Floor lamps

Desk lamps

Hanging lights

Light quality in the office

When planning your lighting, our experts take your office layout and conditions into account to determine the optimal office lighting.

With regard to the nature of the room, we consider:

Incidence of daylight
Scattering of light over walls, ceilings, and floors
Ceiling height, niches, and wall colours
Space that needs enhancing by light
The course of light and shadow in space
Effect of light, colours, and materials on the atmosphere
National factors, because the light is also a cultural issue

As far as the selection of lights is concerned, we include:

Lighting level and luminance distribution
Direct glare limitation
Limitation of reflected glare on screens and other work equipment
Three-dimensional visibility through appropriate shading
Avoidance of disturbing shadows
Light colour and colour rendering freedom from flickering

You can be confident that the choice of lights we have to offer will meet all your needs and requirements.

Employee-focused lighting

Our design approach comes from the research study „Perceived lighting quality in the office” by Zumtobel and the Fraunhofer Institute, which shows what is important to employees in everyday office life.

This allows our lighting designers to give you precisely what you want.

Brighter than the norm

The recommended illuminance level is around 500 lux. However, the study shows that workers prefer illuminance levels of 800 lux and above.

Artificial light - even in summer

The study shows that artificial light is used for more than six hours, not only on winter days but in summer too.

Adjustable lighting

Individually dimmable and colour-changeable artificial light increases well-being and promotes productivity and creativity.

Direct/indirect light

Direct/indirect light relieves the eyes through reduced brightness contrasts and offers the best lighting conditions, making the office a pleasant place.

Office types

Our lighting planners tailor your lighting design to the individual needs of your premises, helping to turn your office into a comfortable, happy and productive place to work.

Individual offices

Floor area 10 to 50 m²
1 to 2 people
A high proportion of daylight

In individual offices, we recommend lights be placed parallel to the window, with the best options being pendant or hanging lights.

Group offices

Floor area 50 to 300 m²
For up to 25 people
Naturally exposed only
in zones near the window

A bank of desks should be illuminated by portable lighting systems, like floor lamps. These must be complemented by basic ceiling lights, such as LED panels or hanging lights.

Pendant luminaires white open-plan office

Open-plan offices

Floor area from 400 to 1,200 m²
Up to 100 people
Permanent artificial lighting required

In addition to ceiling lights, like LED panels or grid lights, open-plan offices should also include desk lamps at each individual workstation.

Workplace Lighting Guidance

Guide to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 states in section Regulation 8: Natural and artificial lighting

(a) places of work receive, as far as possible, sufficient natural light and are equipped with artificial lighting adequate for the protection of the safety and health of the employer’s employees,

(b) lighting installations in rooms containing workstations and in passageways are placed in such a way that there is no risk of accident to the employer’s employees as a result of the type of lighting fitted, and

(c) places of work in which the employer’s employees are especially exposed to risks in the event of failure of artificial lighting are provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity

Zoning and additional areas

It’s not only the office where you work that needs to be adequately lit. Every area on your premises needs to be illuminated appealingly and appropriately too. Our lighting planners devote themselves to your lighting project, regardless of size. We also use a comprehensive zoning concept to determine which areas have special lighting requirements beyond the workplace.

Entrance area

The lighting in your entrance areas needs to make a good first impression, feel inviting and not blind visitors and employees with glaring light.

Corridors

Functional lighting ensures optimal visual conditions in corridors. By adding targeted accent lighting, you can emphasise objects to add a visually pleasing highlight.

Conference rooms

Whether used for training or meetings, conference rooms need flexible lighting. Dimmers are mandatory in these spaces, as this is a room where projectors are used frequently.

Cafeteria/Kitchen

In contrast to the work area, warm white, comfortable lighting is recommended for the cafeteria or kitchen area. Food also looks more appealing in this light.

Perfect light planning

Get the most out of daylight

Smart sun protection devices such as roller shutters and blinds regulate the incidence of daylight so that heat build-up is reduced and glare is avoided. At the same time, sunlight will still be directed into the room without causing discomfort.

Save on operating costs

Lighting is switched on depending on presence using intelligent presence detectors. At the same time, twilight sensors can determine the incidence of daylight. This way, the light is dimmed or switched off when rooms are not in use.

Maintenance made easy

The functionality of lights are checked constantly with the help of a building-wide BUS system. In the event of a failure, immediate action can be taken. It is advisable to integrate safety lighting in case of an emergency.